Full steam ahead!

Menopausal women may be able to control their blood sugar better and gain less weight if they sit in a sauna every day, new research on mice finds.

“Our study suggests that whole-body heat therapy could serve as an effective, noninvasive solution for managing weight gain and insulin resistance associated with menopause,” said research team leader Soonkyu Chung, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The findings were presented Monday in Chicago at Nutrition 2024, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.

For the study, the researchers removed the ovaries of older female mice to simulate life after menopause, which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.

The mice consumed a Western diet containing 45% calories from fat. One group of mice was placed in a heat chamber at 104 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes every day, while the other group was not.

The 12-week experiment showed the mice receiving the heat treatment had less aging-related tissue damage and improved insulin sensitivity — a hallmark of Type 2 diabetes. The heat therapy also seemed to lessen weight gain from the fatty diet.

Hormonal changes and a slowing metabolism have been shown to contribute to fat accumulation during menopause, which is diagnosed when a woman has not had a period in 12 months.

In this new study, the researchers found that heat kick-starts processes that help the body use energy more efficiently and burn fat.

“This series of events suggests that regular application of heat can mimic the effects of calorie burning and fat loss,” said Rong Fan, a doctoral candidate advised by Chung. “It could be particularly advantageous for individuals who find physical activities challenging, providing a relaxing way to improve metabolic health.”

Chung’s team hopes additional research can pinpoint the length of time and intensity of heat that yields the most health benefits and confirm its effectiveness in people of different ethnic groups.

Conversely, a study published earlier this year found that swimming in cold water may reduce menopause symptoms.